Why Large Testes May Be a Sign of Big Heart Problems

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Men with large testicles may be at increased risk of heart
disease, and a new study from Italy suggests why.

The study measured the testicle size of more than 2,800 Italian
men who sought care for
sexual dysfunction, and were followed for about seven years
afterward.

Unexpectedly, the researchers found a link between risk factors
for heart disease — such as obesity, smoking and high blood
pressure — and larger testicles.

Having larger testicles was also linked with a slightly increased
risk of being hospitalized for
heart disease, which could be due to the risk profile of men
with larger testes, the researchers said.

The researchers also found a link between high levels of
luteinizing hormone (LH) — which is secreted by the pituitary
gland, and stimulates production of testosterone — and an
increased risk of heart disease. This link held even after the
researchers took into account risk factors for heart disease.

It's possible that high LH levels may have a direct, harmful
effect on the cardiovascular
system, or that another factor not considered in this study
is responsible for both high LH levels and heart disease, the
researchers said.

Previously, larger testicles were considered a sign of good
reproductive health, so it was surprising to find a link between
large testicles and poor health, the researchers said.

"Although it is generally assumed that testis size can predict
reproductive fitness, our results indicate that this objective
parameter can provide insights also on overall health and
[cardiovascular disease] risk," the researchers wrote in the July
11 issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

As for the reason that larger testicles may be linked heart
disease, the researchers pointed to the fact that men with health
problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, are known to have
lower
testosterone levels. The researchers speculated that, in such
men, the body may try to compensate for low testosterone levels
by secreting higher levels of pituitary hormones, which in turn
could lead to an increase in testicle size.

However, other experts called his hypothesis a stretch.

Although men with low testosterone might have an increase in the
production of pituitary hormones, the notion "that then the
testicle gets pushed by the pituitary, and gets bigger than
normal — I doubt that's true," said Dr. Andrew Kramer, a
urologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Kramer agreed that high LH levels are a sign of poor health, and
could be linked to heart problems. But he said he would have
expected low LH levels to be linked with bigger testicles, and
high LH to be linked with smaller testicles. "I think there isn't
a relationship that makes sense here," Kramer said.

Because the study was conducted on men with sexual dysfunction,
the results may not apply to the general population, the
researchers said.